OLD CLOTHES, SHOES WILL HELP RIDING PROGRAM MAKE STRIDES

When Judee Martz heard about a program to recycle wearable clothes for money, she knew she had a winner.

Martz, the school nurse at the middle school, had also just learned that the town did not receive funding this year for its therapeutic riding program.

This lack of financing, a $5,800 deficit, has put the future of the riding program in jeopardy.

Martz decided to hold a clothing drive to benefit the Great Strides Therapeutic Riding program for local kids.

The riding program targets children at risk and youngsters with handicaps.

Last year, through a state-offered Neighborhood Assistance grant, the town sent 21 children to the 10-week program.

"The program was so successful and it did such wonderful things for the kids," said Ann France, youth services coordinator.

But this year, the town did not receive the grant, so France is working hard to raise the requisite money through donations. The riding program is due to start in just a few weeks, and France is still far short of the needed $5,800.

This year the program is slated to include 25 local children, with many more on the waiting list.

Martz decided to step up to the plate and collect bags of wearable clothes to help fund a portion of the needed funding.

Starting today and running through Friday, Martz is encouraging people to bring white garbage bags, the tall size, stuffed full with clothes, to the school auditorium.

"This is a great thing for us to be able to do," Martz said. "So many people have so little and through this program, we can help people in need of clothes and also raise money for Great Strides."

Martz is working with the American Clothing Recycling Company in Waterbury to turn the clothes into cash.

The recycling company will pay 6 cents a pound for collected clothes.

According to William Pategan, owner of the recycling company, his business purchases the clothes and then sells the items to commercial vendors in the third world.

Martz said that an average tall kitchen bag stuffed with clothes weighs 16 to 18 pounds.

Martz's goal is to gather about 1,385 bags of clothing, which would net at least $1,500 for the town-sponsored therapeutic riding program.

"We are encouraging everyone to drop off as many bags as they can," Martz said. "Shoes are great because they weigh more, so we're telling people to throw in their unwanted shoes."